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SBUMC Neonatologist Named One of World's Top Young Innovators Dr. Shetal Shah Awarded for Device Used to Measure Forces From Trauma or Transport |
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August 16, 2007 STONY BROOK, NY – Shetal I. Shah, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC), has been named by Technology Review magazine as one of the top innovators worldwide under the age of 35. The “TR35” award recognizes Dr. Shah’s creation of a device to measure forces imparted on patients during transport or trauma.
“Measuring secondary forces, their effects on the body, and what levels of force are considered safe is novel,” says Dr. Shah. “The basic premise is that mechanical forces transmitted to our bodies create inflammation, which is detrimental to everyone, though particularly to newborns, who have larger than normal responses to inflammation. These excessive responses to inflammation have been linked to everything from chronic lung disease to bleeding in the brain,” he explains. Dr. Shah believes that doctors should view the force of trauma the way physicians think of medication. Just as doctors measure the risks, benefits and dosage of medication, they should measure imparted mechanical force to reduce risk of developing certain physical responses. He adapted an accelerometer to measure forces of trauma on the body. The device is applied specifically to neonates and may have applications to soldiers in the field. Dr. Shah is also developing an anti-inflammatory medication against specific molecular targets to reduce inflammation and decrease the stress of trauma/transport. “Dr. Shah is an extraordinarily gifted and creative neonatologist and researcher,” says Janet E. Larson, M.D., Chief of Neonatology. “The TR35 award recognizes his concept and approach to minimize the effects of concussive forces on patients.” Dr. Shah has received numerous awards and honors as a physician. Most recently, he was named the national recipient of the 2007 Most Distinguished Young Physician Award from the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). The AAPI is the largest ethnic physician organization in the United States with a membership of 57,000 physicians, residents and medical students. This year Dr. Shah was also appointed by the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars and the J. William Fulbright Foundation to the Senior Specialist Roster of the Fulbright Senior Specialist Program. The program matches specialists with overseas academic institutions. In April, he practiced in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Kashiben’s Children’s Hospital in India. There he treated patients, taught residents, and helped clinicians adapt existing technology to current treatment modes. Dr. Shah is board certified in Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He received his M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College and completed a fellowship in neonatology at New York University School of Medicine. He and the other TR35 winners will be featured in the September issue of Technology Review. They will also be honored at the Emerging Technologies Conference, held at Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) September 25-27. Technology Review, Inc., is an independent media company owned by MIT and an authority on the future of technology. Founded in 1899, Technology Review is the oldest technology magazine in the world.
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